Out to Launch

by Amy Corr, May 16, 2012, 4:10 PM

• Comment
• Recommend
• Tweet
• 

Dilated pupils don’t miss a hair in the latest spot for KAYAK.com. A husband intentionally dilates his pupils while searching travel sites, ensuring he won’t miss a deal. His wife offers a simpler solution: KAYAK.com, which scours top travel sites and posts the best deals in one place. The hubby better book a great vacation, stat, to make up for pointing out his wife’s fine lines and lip hair. See it here, created by Barton F. Graf 9000.

New Balance launched a TV spot promoting its Minimus running shoe. The goal of the ad is to inspire and encourage athletes to take their level of performance to the next step. Does it ever. It makes me want to see how far I can throw a tire and how high I can jump without causing permanent bodily damage. Seriously, I’m amazed at the amount of air these athletes are getting. The ad shows athletes in all stages of a workout, from warming up to full-fledged training. Think jumping on boxes, shadowboxing, sprints, burpees, elevated push-ups, tire throwing and some rope-pulling exercise that looks easy but is probably the toughest move in the ad. Watch it here, created by Arnold Worldwide.

The Little Bit of Luck character for the New York Lottery is back… and he’s brought some friends. The latest TV spot follows a New Yorker as he begins his workday. Throughout his commute and along the city streets, the man is surrounded by little bits of luck. The characters go unnoticed until the man looks out his office window to see a little bit of luck parachuting through the sky. “With nearly a million winners a day, there’s a little bit of luck for everyone,” closes the ad, seen here, and created by DDB NY.

 

We’ve all been there… trying to get that last bit of ketchup from a bottle. It’s not pretty, but we go to great lengths to get whatever’s left out of that glass or plastic bottle. Heinz Ketchup devoted an ad to this very action. First, you look inside the bottle, then you shake it -- and if that doesn’t work, you resort to sticking your knife inside, hoping it will dislodge any remaining ketchup. If you are using a plastic bottle, you squeeze until the fart sounds become too much to handle. Watch "Last Drop" here, created by john st. and directed by Cole Webley of Holiday Films.

 

The Serta Counting Sheep will do whatever it takes to make sure folks have a restless slumber, resulting in a need to count them. Launching May 18, “Mattress Heist” shows a handful of sheep breaking into Serta’s headquarters. The group finds Serta’s Perfect Sleeper, along with data describing how the mattress can aid common sleep problems. The sheep decide to steal the mattress. All appears to be going well -- until a lone sheep comments that the mattress feels good on his back. Bad move. See the ad here, created by Doner.

Audi launched an adorable TV ad promoting the futuristic features of the Audi A6, which leads one young girl to believe her dad is an alien. The girl bases her theory on the fact that her dad speaks a strange language (when gargling), drinks green juice, (probably wheat grass), wears reflective bicycle gear and allegedly hails from Albuquerque. The biggest proof for the girl, however, is that her dad drives a spaceship: the high-tech Audi A6. See the ad here, created by Venables Bell & Partners.

The current Audi campaign reminded me of another campaign from January for the Audi Quattro. Filmed in Alaska, the TV spot and online videos add a modern-day spin to Herman Melville’s classic, “Moby Dick.” An obsessed tow truck driver is determined to catch the car that gets away from him year after year, regardless of the harsh weather conditions: the Quattro. When the Quattro speeds by “Ahab” in inclement weather, the driver is left in his truck shouting, “Quattro!” See it here. In a set of online videos, the dedicated tow truck driver describes how the elusive Quattro drives through snow like it was cotton candy and renews his commitment to one day rescuing the Quattro from a snowdrift. Watch the videos here, here and here. Venables Bell & Partners created the campaign, directed by Daniel Kleinman and edited by Cut + Run.

This must have been fun to see in person. McCann Erickson, New York created “The Fountain of Electrolytenment” for Nestle Waters, a water installation that answers questions in real time. The fountain was placed at The Grove in Los Angeles from May 3-6. Passersby were able to ask the fountain questions and have them answered as a scripted sheet of water. Check it out here. The installation was produced along with Ryan Partnership and Cone Communications.

 

Random iPhone App of the week: Dunkin’ Donuts launched an iPhone app to support its upcoming partnership with “Men in Black 3.” “Dunkin' MIB3 Capture” brings alien “Spikey Bulba” to life and lets users hold the adorable creature captive on their mobile device. Players can interact and play games with Spikey, plus feed him Dunkin' Donuts virtual Iced Coffee and donuts. The more users play with Spikey, the more content is unlocked. The app, created by Hill Holliday and Tool, is available for free in the App Store.

• Comment
• Recommend
• Tweet
• 

Be the first to comment on "Out to Launch"

Leave a Comment